API Spotlight: Kiuwan, Plaid and Scrazzl APIs

Of the many APIs we published this week, eight were highlighted on the blog by our team of writers. In this post, we’ll illuminate those eight by throwing them into the spotlight. The eight included the LifeTrak API. LifeTrak allows developers to integrate activity tracking into their applications. These activities consist of calorie tracking, heart race, steps, distance, and the ability to see progress over a range of dates. Life Track sells for between 50 and 100 dollars and is waterproof up to 90 feet. The API is available for both iOS and Android unlike similar products that are only open to a select few developers. To learn more about the Life Track API visit the Life Track site as well as the Life Track API blog post. SugarCRM provides sales and marketing data for its customer relationship management service. Bella Solutions is field service management software that gives companies the power to schedule, dispatch, and manage field technicians. Together with the Bella Solutions API, developers can utilize the API to connect both separate management services into one cohesive management program. Once combined the functionality would allow for marketing, sales automation, collaboration, customer support, quick books, employee dispatch, scheduling, and more. To learn more about he Bella Solutions API visit the Bella Solutions site as well as the Bella Solutions API blog post. Play2Shop pays gamers with redeemable points and gives everyone who plays a chance to get points, redeem free stuff, and get up to 10% cash back from their purchases. The Play2Shop API allows game developers to join the community regardless of what platform they use. The idea is to create and attractive rewards program for gamers shoppers and developers. Initially Play2Shop was released privately but after successful trials it will be making its full release shortly. To learn more about the Play2Shop API visit the Play2Shop site as well as the Play2Shop API blog post. Kiuwan is an analysis service used to detect flaws in static code that could hurt overall application functionality. It supports C#, Java, SQL and more with the power to receive multilanguage reports locally, over the cloud, and through the Kiuwan API. The Kiuwan API simply gives devlopers the ability to integrate code in their application that will programmatically receive quality reports from the Kiuwan site. The amount of data analysis and analysis options are vast, including code metrics, code duplication analysis, defects list, historical evolution, what if analysis, and a quality model to base performance indicators. To learn more about the Kiuwan API visit the Kiuwan site as well as the Kiuwan API blog post. Back in July we covered the release of the Dropbox Datastore API, which was in beta form at the time. This week Dropbox announced that the Datastore API was out of beta trials and the first version of the API has been released. For a little refreshment, the Datastore API allows developers to sync data between multiple devices regardless of whether or not the device is iOS or Android. Furthermore, the storage capabilities are not limited to just file formats, any form of structured data like files, calenders or to-do lists can be synched across multiple devices. To learn more about the first version of the Datastore API visit the Dropbox site as well as the Datastore API blog post. Plaid, ironically close to paid, is a start up that recently acquired $2.8 million dollars in seed funding for its banking API. The API, which is currently in beta and accessible to only a select few developers, allows developers to interact with bank and credit card companies. Through the API data can be received regarding account and transaction data, merchant names, addresses and geocoordinates. The idea behind the Plaid banking API is that developers will use it to create innovative apps that help consumers manage their transactions and banking. Imagine and app that notifies a user that they are going over budget or spending too much money. To learn more about the Plaid API visit the Plaid site as well as the Plaid API blog post. Scrazzl is a discovery platform designed to help scientists find and evaluate products for their research. The Scrazzl API gives developers access to research product information. To be more specific, developers can call articles on product listings, identified by a digital object identifier. In addition, developers can search the Scrazzl database for products and receive the name, manufacturer, product description, and the URL location on Scrazzl for more information. To further the options, Scrazzl is working on developing addition chemical and biological indicators. To learn more about the Scrazzl API visit the Scrazzl site as well as the Scrazzl API blog post. Service Objects is a contact validation company that released its DOTS Address Validation-US3 API. The API automatically verifies, corrects and appends address information to records in real time. It does so by utilizing the USPS CASS certified address engine, real time data on over 165 million addresses, to correct any typos or missing information in records. Delving deeper, it also updates addresses with carrier route and barcode digits for sorting deliveries. From these bar codes it flags residential and business addresses so shipping charges can be adjusted accordingly. To learn more about the DOTS Address Validation-US3 API visit the Service Objects site as well as the Service Objects API blog post.

About the author:Matthew Scott
Matt is a finance major at the Lundquist College of Business. He currently manages his own portfolio with aspirations of becoming a certified financial planner in the near future. To connect with Matt, please visit his Google+ and LinkedIn profiles.